William a



No. 614,276. I Patented lum/.15, |898.

. w. A. RUSSELL.

AIB VALVE ATTACHMENT FOR RADIATORS. &c.

(Application filed Dec, 24, 1896.)

(No Mod-elw NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. RUSSELL, OF NEY YORK, N. Y.

AIR-VALVE ATTACHMENT FOR RADIATORS, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,276, dated November 15, 1898.

Application filed December 24, 1896. Serial No. 616,856. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM A. RUSSELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, (New Brightom) county of Richmond, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Valve Attachments for Radiators and the Like, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic air-valve attachments for radiators and the like which are designed for the purpose of permitting the ingress and egress of air to and from the radiator or the like and are provided with valve mechanism which is seated automatically by the' steam or water, or both, from the radiator or the like at the proper time upon the expulsion of the air to prevent the escape to the atmosphere of the steam or water.

The invention has particular reference to attachments of that class in which two valves are employed, one being seated by expansion and the other by flotation, to shut olf communication between the radiator or the like and thev atmosphere, the object of the present invention being to simplify the construction of such attachments and to at the same time render them more reliable in operation and durable than those heretofore devised.

The invention consists, briefly, in a novel construction of valve-casing, a novel construction and arrangement of valves therein, a novel construction of expansion or vapor cylinder, and in other features which will be hereinafter pointed out in the claims.

As a full understanding of the invention can best be given by an illustration and a detailed description of an organization embodying the same, such description will now be given, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis an elevation of an apparatus embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the line 2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to said drawings, the attachment consists of a casing built up of three sections, forming two chambers 2 3 and a radiator connection 4, the three sections being threaded toA gether, as shown, and a suitable packing 5 beingpreferablyinterposedbetween the sections forming chamber 3 and connection 4 to render the joint water andsteam tight. Between the chambers 2 3 is 'provided a horizontal partition 6, preferably formed integrally with section 3 and which has a central hub 7, provided with a passage 8, connecting the chalnbers 2 3. The passage 8 is adapted to be closed by either or both of two valves 9 10, located in the chambers 2 3, respectively. The valve 9 is soldered or otherwise secured to the lower head of a cylinder 11, suspended in the chamber 2 by a rod 12, which screws into a plug 13, soldered in the upper end of the chamber 2, so that by turning rod 12 the cylinder 11 may be adjusted up and down in the chamber 2 to and from the passage 8. The block 13 is also screw-threaded exteriorly for the purpose of receiving the usual inclosing cap 13. A steam-tight connection between the rod 12 and plug 13 is secured by means of a packing 14, of suitable material, which is held in place by means of an eXteriorly-screwthreaded collar 15, through which the rod 12 works while being turned to adjust the cylinder 11. The cylinder 11 is designed to expand to seat the valve 9 under the action of heat,and for that purpose either or both of 11, but to a plate 16, held in place over the upper head by a fiange 17, formed of the wall of the cylinder 11 and bent downwardly over the plate, as shown in Fig. 2. IThe connection between the rod 12 and plate 16 is a loose one, so as to provide for aslight amount of play or rocking movement of the cylinder 11 relatively to the rod 12, and thus enable the valve 9 to readily seat itself. The upper head of the vapor-cylinder 11 is also provided with a central hollow plug 18, through which the cylinder is filled and which is closed by a screw 19. r1`he plug 18 and screw 19 serve also as a stop for protecting the cylinder 11 against rupture when the valve 9 is being ad- IOO j usted toward the passage S. This is necessary, as the valve 9 is but a short distance from its seat and a slight movement of the cylinder 11 by means of the rod12 will seat it, and should the movement of the cylinder be continued after this point is reached the valve would force the lowerhead of the cylinder upwardly, and thus damage or destroy the cylinder. For this reason the plug 1S and screw 1) are elongated s0 as to contact with the valve 9 at the proper time and prevent upward movement thereof. The chamber 2 is provided with the usual air-opening 20. The valve 10 is soldered to the upper head of a float 21, which in its normal position rests against a central support 22, cast in the connection 4, and which rises with the water as it'collects in the chamber 3 until it seats the valve 10 in the passage S. The connection 4 is provided with two passages 23 24, one slightlylarger in diameter than the other, connecting the chamber 3 with the radiator or the like for maintaining a constant circulation between the two and returning the water from the chamber 3 to the radiator or the like.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming the attachment to be applied to a radiator when the parts are in their normal positions-that is, when the radiator is cool-the two valves 9 10`will be off their seats, the vapor-cylinder being contracted and the fioat 21 resting on its support 22. Communication is thus established 'between the chambers 2 3 and between the radiator and the atmosphere through the air-openin g 20, so that air will be free to enter or leave the radiator. As soon as steam is turned on, however, the air will be driven from the radiator into the chambers 2 3 and thenceexpelled through the air-opening 20, the Valves 9 10 still remaining in normal position. The water in the radiator will be driven into the chamber 3 and raising the ioat 21 will seat the valve 10 in the passage S, and thus shut off the escape of both water and steam. The steam entering the chamber 3 will also raise the temperature thereof and also of the chamber 2 and cause the vapor-cylinder 11 to expand and seat its valve 9, the passage S being thus closed by both valves 9 10. By reason of the two passages 23 24 connecting the chamber 3 and the radiator a constant circulation is maintained between the chamber and radiator, returning the water collecting lin the chamber to the radiator. VShould the water be withdrawn from the chamber 3, the lioat 21 will drop to its support 22, thus unseating its valve 10; but the valve 9 will remain seated so long as the necessary temperature is maintained by the steam to keep the cylinder 11 expanded. When the steam is turned off from the radiator, the cylinder 11 will contract, thus unseating the valve 9 and putting the two chambers 2 3 again into communication and permitting air to enter the radiator. Should there be no water in the system', steam alone will enter the chambers 2 3, and acting on the cylinder 11 will expand the same to seat the valve 9, the float 21 remaining stationary.

It is to be understood, as heretofore suggested, that although the construction shown and described embodies the several features of my invention in what are considered to be their preferred forms I am not to be limited thereto, as changes or modiiications may be made therein without departing from my invention.

1. An air-valve attachment for radiators and the like consisting of a casing comprising two chambers separated by a horizontal partition and adapted to communicate with each other through an opening in said partition, each of said chambers containing a valve adapted to be automatically seated in said opening, one of said valves being carried by a vapor-cylinder in the upper chamber and adapted to have sidewise play relatively to said opening, and said cylinder being adjustably suspended from the wall of the casing,the other valve being carried by a float in the lower chamber, substantially as described.

2. An air-valve attachment for radiators and the like consisting of a casing compris ing two chambers separated by a horizontal partition and adapted to communicate with each other through an opening in said partition, each of said chambers containing a valve adapted to be automatically seated in said opening, one of said valves being carried by a vapor-cylinder ad j ustably and loosely suspended in the upper chamber from the wall of the casing, and the other by a float in the lower chamber, substantially as described.

3. In an air-valve attachment for radiators andthe like the combination, in a suitable casin g, of a vapor-cylinder, a valve earried thereby, a valve-seat therefor, said cylinder being provided with a reinforcing-plate, and a rod adjustably secured to the valvecasing and loosely connected to said plate, substantially as described.

4c. In an air-valve attachment for radiators and the like the combination, in a suitable casing, of a vapor-cylinder, a valve carried by one head of said cylinder, a valveseat therefor, areinforcing-plate at the opposite head of the cylinder, a rod adjustably secured in the valve-casing and connected to said plate in line with the valve, and a stop between the heads of the cylinder in line with the rod and valve for limiting the movement of the rod in adjustment, substantially as described.

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and float 21 in Chamber 3, substantially as to chamber 3 and provided with seat 22 for described. the oat, substantially as described.

6. An air-valve attachment for radiators In testimony whereof I have hereunto set and the like comprising chambers 2, 3, the my hand in the presence of two subscribing 5 latter being screwed into the former, said Witnesses.

Chambers being divided by a partition oontaining a passage from one to the other, a TILLIAM A' RUSSELL' valve 9 carried by an expansion-cylinder in Witnesses: chamber 2, a valve carried by a float in eham- T. F. KEHOE, Io ber 3, and a radiator connection 4 threaded l J. J. KENNEDY. 

